Miles won't be eligible to play for the Griz until Jan. 4. He must first serve a 10-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for a banned weight-loss stimulant. He can attend practices, but he must be out of the arena two hours before tip-off of games.

The Grizzlies' gamble will last at least until Jan. 7, when they must decide whether to guarantee Miles' contract for the rest of the season. He'll likely appear in two games before then, and would only cost the Griz roughly $500,000 if he remains on the roster through April.

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Wallace denied that the motivation for acquiring Miles was to adversely affect Portland's salary cap.

If Miles appears in more than 10 regular-season games, his $9.3 million annual salary will be picked up by the Trail Blazers, fulfilling the terms of the NBA's career-ending injury policy. Already assured of making $18 million over the next two seasons from his guaranteed Blazers contract, Miles said his comeback is purely basketball-related.

"I wish I could do this without me having to put money on (Portland's) salary cap," Miles said. "The only reason they say something about me is because of their business decision. They decided they didn't want me to play for that team anymore. It's kind of like the (Stephon Marbury) situation, and everybody labeled my like I was this bad dude.

Now, with a roster spot cleared after a three-team trade that sent Javaris Crittenton to Washington, the Grizzlies evidently have decided that the best use of that roster spot is to fill it with Miles, who has not played since 2006 due to a debilitating knee injury. Miles also will be suspended for the first 10 games he's on an active roster for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

"When it ends -- and it doesn't end well, because he never does with Darius -- all it can do is blow up the team," a person familiar with the Grizzlies' situation said.